Oct. 16: Eight-legged freaks

I made some of these oh-so-scary Halloween decorations today.



I found the idea in Family Fun magazine. Here are the directions. I followed their steps for the first one but it didn't work very well (it was messy and I cursed a lot). The second and third ones I did my own way and they totally kick 'pider butt. Well, I guess they don't kick 'pider butt yet, because I ran out of 'piders. But I assure you, they will be wicked awesome when I'm done.

We have Hobo spiders in Oregon. They are big and scary and poisonous. People who consider themselves experts say that Hobo spiders are more afraid of us than we are of them but they have not met me. They also say they hide, and the most common bites are from a spider hiding in a shoe and the person not checking for spiders before they put them on.

Do you check your shoes for spiders before you put them on? Sure, if they've been sitting outside for a while, that's probably a good idea. But if they've been in my closet (or, more likely, the middle of my living room floor), I don't look in them; I just shove my foot in and hope for the best.

Last week I opened our front door and saw a giant spider scamper across the floor and go under one of Vic's shoes just inside the door. It was so big, at first I thought it was a mouse or possibly a small horse. I left the door open (so's my neighbors would hear me scream if the big, mean spider attacked me) and grabbed one of the many handy shoes near the door. I bravely picked up Vic's shoe and smashed the H-E-double-hockeysticks out of that big dude as soon as he moved. But before I did, I could totally tell it was a Hobo spider. And it was male, which means it was more venomous. Don't ask me how I know it was male. Trust me. I know.

Moral of the story: if you live in the Northwest, check your shoes for 'piders. Oh, and if you live in the Southwest, check them for scorpions. Ew. I'm all squirmy now.

Also, if you're looking for a cool Halloween decoration, see the pic above.